


Next Page

by jindorisblue



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Angst, F/F, ceo mina, enemies to lovers sorta, reporter momo, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-05-20 09:14:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19373713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jindorisblue/pseuds/jindorisblue
Summary: When she looked up, Mina couldn’t help but think that the girl looked adorable as she pushed her glasses back into place, her note knocking into the mic as she struggled to properly put it in front of her mouth.orMina found it hard to forget about a certain reporter during her press conference. Twist is, the reporter might just actually... dislike her, to put it nicely.





	1. Prologue

She looked at herself in the mirror one more time, smoothing out the blazer hugging her body before tightening her ponytail. She glanced at the window, watching as a crowd begin to swarm around a small stage that has been set up just for her. Mina loved her job, loved the success she gained after years of hard work building her company from the ground up. Ended up being one of the youngest to lead a leading architecture firm in South Korea, helping a lot of other businesses build the empire of their dreams. Her firm became so popular among other businesses due to the effectiveness of her relations with her clients, always asking straightforward questions, taking into account the clients’ preferences, and take off from there, finishing the job much faster than most firms. This quality is what leads Myoui Studio into success, attracting more clients while expanding the market.

Much like how she expected her staffs to work, Mina herself is straightforward. She expected things to be done effectively, avoiding small talks as much as possible to be able to get the job done. So it was only natural for her to hate this part, the one where she has to put on a practiced smile in front of the press while giving out answers as practiced as those smiles, given by her PR team beforehand. She had no choice, though, as the press already expected even the tiniest bit of speech from the woman who was able to lead a firm into such success, especially in the early age of 3 years. Not to mention that her PR team thought that it was a good publicity, which could mean attracting  _ more  _ clients and investors. With an anniversary party coming, she should aim to have people with power to come. 

She rubbed at her temple, feeling drained already from seeing the amount of people gathered to see her. Her hand moved to take the pile of cards lying on the table, shuffling through it to jog her memory on what she was supposed to say, before a knock on the door caught her attention.

“Miss Myoui?” a blonde head peeked into the room. It was Chaeyoung, a senior manager in her company. Her eyes landed on the cards in her hands, before her eyes moved back up and a soft, reassuring smile graced her face. “Everyone’s ready for you.”

“Chaeng, you know you don’t have to refer to me as Miss Myoui,” Mina frowned, gently placing the cards down back down on the table. She reached for the yellow shades Chaeyoung gifted for her, putting it on as she walked past the younger girl.

“I know,” she heard Chaeyoung said, could hear the cheeky smile in her voice. “But it’s fun to watch you blush every time.”

“Asshole,” Mina muttered, shooting a glare at her best friend.

“Hey! What if the press hears that the ever-composed Myoui Mina curse? Wouldn’t want bad press now, would we?” Chaeyoung teased, elbowing Mina’s side as she finally matched her pace.

“Shut up, you’re the senior manager for a reason. I don’t need your input on what’s good or bad press,  _ Miss Son _ .” Mina said, ignoring the cackle Chaeyoung let out at Mina’s attempt to refer to her professionally. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have South Korea to charm.”

Chaeyoung grinned at her, holding the door open for her before Mina was able to reach it herself. Two security guards appeared then, making way for Mina to reach the stage safely. “Good luck,  _ Miss Myoui _ ,” she concluded with a wink, letting go of the door just as Mina stepped out of the building, leaving her alone in the frenzy of flashes as reporters started shouting for her to look their way, or even trying to push through the guards on duty.

Just as anxiety started to pool at the pit of her stomach, she spotted Nayeon, the head of her PR team, near the stage as she waved at Mina to get her attention. She shoved her hands into the pocket of her pants then, in an attempt to hide her shaking hands, before striding past the press until she reached Nayeon. The girl had a clipboard in her hand, the other holding a walkie talkie with the in-ear plugged in. She took one look of Mina as the girl arrived, scanning her from head-to-toe before flashing her signature smirk complete with that playful glint in her eyes.

“So, you come here often?”

“Cut it out, Miss Im. I own the company.”

“Aw, come on boss, try to loosen up a bit!” Nayeon said, nudging the girl gently. Mina could only shake her head at that, a small smile playing on her lips despite her effort in feigning annoyance. She  _ did  _ have a soft spot for the older girl, the one who seemed to have always been able to say the right things to loosen her up. She didn’t become the head of her PR team for nothing, after all.

Upon noticing the smile, Nayeon chuckled, evidently satisfied with herself, “Okay, okay, enough teasing for now. We’re getting into business.”

Mina hummed,“I’m listening.”

“I’ve reviewed the list of questions the press is going to ask you and I’ve made clear the list of questions they  _ cannot  _ ask you,” Nayeon started, “Those questions include questions about your private life, so as long as you read the cards I gave you, it should be fine.”

“Got it.”

“Remember, you know your company best. The sentences in the card were merely my take on how to best phrase it so I believe you won’t screw up,” Nayeon winked, stepping back to make way for Mina to reach the stage. “Good luck, Miss Myoui.”

Mina smiled, grabbing her hand for comfort. Nayeon squeezed back briefly, allowing her to take a deep breath before finally stepping into the stage, camera flashes greeting her.

* * *

They have nearly reached the end of the question and answer portion of the press conference, with Mina sitting on a chair set up on the stage and Nayeon sitting on the other side of the stage, acting as the moderator. Mina was drinking out of her bottle when she heard Nayeon spoke up, pointing at a reporter and prompting her to ask a question. She set down her bottle then, averting her gaze to be able to properly address the person Nayeon just gave the floor to. Her breath hitched when she laid eyes on the girl, now holding a mic the staff gave her.

She was young, around her age, maybe. Her hair was down, in a hime cut that framed her face perfectly. She had round glasses perched on the bridge of her nose, sliding down as she looked down to the note in her hand. She had her camera hung around her neck, one of those cameras with unnecessarily long lenses that Mina would never know how to operate. When she looked up, Mina couldn’t help but think that the girl looked adorable as she pushed her glasses back into place, her note knocking into the mic as she struggled to properly put it in front of her mouth.

“It’s okay, take your time.” Mina said into her mic, fighting back a smile as she watched the girl gave her a sheepish grin, putting the note back into her pocket before finally holding the mic with both her hands.

“Miss Myoui,” she started, her expression hardened into a more professional one. “What do you think is the quality that defines you as a leader and what sets you apart from other leaders in other leading companies in South Korea?”

Mina glanced at Nayeon, not at all expecting such question. Nayeon looked back at her, subtly nodding as if encouraging her to answer the question truthfully. Mina shifted her gaze back at the girl then, leaning back into her chair before holding the mic close to her mouth.

“I think it’s my persistence. I’m strong-willed, even when I know that it would be hard for me to lead a company in a male-dominated industry. But I carried on, never letting those who look down on me have the satisfaction of seeing me give up. With it, I learn how to also be straightforward in my work, to get the job done effectively but with great quality. So, my persistence has brought me a lot of things, including the ways of making my company different from other companies.”

The girl nodded at that, saying a thank you before giving the mic back to a staff. The press then erupted into incoherent chattering, as Nayeon stated that they will only be taking one last question before concluding the press conference. Mina tried to hold onto the sight of the girl, satisfied when she spotted her raising her camera up to where Mina was seated. She looked straight into the lens then, mouthing  _ thank you _ before smiling long enough for a picture to be taken and shifting back her gaze to Nayeon, pretending as if nothing ever happened. Nayeon had pointed at another reporter, who asked what she planned for the company in the future. She gave him a practiced answer, one Nayeon provided, before closing the press conference quickly in hope that she could spot the girl back in the crowd.

But as she looked back to where she stood, the girl wasn’t there anymore.

(She felt a dull ache in her chest.)


	2. i. sinking feeling

“Minari! I brought you breakfast!” Chaeyoung said in a singsong tone, bursting through the door of her office without warning.

“Have you ever learned how to knock?” Mina said, unamused, without looking up from her work. “I’m still your boss, you know.”

“Yesterday you didn’t want me to refer to you professionally and now you’re reminding me of your position.” the blonde scoffed dramatically, sitting across from the girl as she set down a bag of sandwiches and a cup of coffee. “Pick one and stick with it.”

Mina sighed, finally looking up from her work to address Chaeyoung properly. “Don’t you have better things to do other than pestering me?”

“I did my portion of the work this morning,” Chaeyoung said, waving her hand dismissively as she started spinning herself on the chair. “You should eat, though. I know you forget to sometimes.”

“What are you, my mom now?”

“At this point it does feel like it. You should pay me more for all this babysitting work,” Chaeyoung stopped the chair from spinning just to send a challenging look at Mina, eyebrow raised with a playful grin on her face.

Mina could only roll her eyes at that, finally taking the cup of coffee to sip from it. Chaeyoung and Mina have been friends long enough for the younger girl to remember her coffee preference, mocha with two extra espresso shots, and though she would never admit it aloud, she was grateful for that. Mina then watched through the brim of her cup as the blonde pulled out her phone, quickly scrolling through iy, before showing the screen to Mina.

“You’re trending on Naver, by the way.” Mina set down her cup at that, taking the phone out of Chaeyoung’s grasp. “ _ And  _ Twitter, thanks to this article Next Page Magazine posted.”

“Next Page?” Mina questioned, finally reading the title that reads ‘South Korea’s Leading CEO, Myoui Mina: Persistence and Charm as Key into Her Success.’

“Yeah, I’m surprised Nayeon hasn’t told you.”

“Well uh, I’m supposed to meet her later this after...” she trailed off, her heart skipping a beat when she saw the picture that accompanied the article. It was of her, sitting with her legs crossed, smiling at the camera. She felt blood rushing in her ear then, her thumb quickly scrolled down to find the name of the author of the article.

“Yeah, sure. Ignore me after I gave you exciting information.” Chaeyoung mocked, though there was no bite to her words.

“Yes, I’m supposed to meet Nayeon this afternoon.” Mina quickly said, eyes finally set on the name at the bottom of the article, next to a picture of an all too familiar face she hadn’t been able to get off her mind since yesterday. Hirai Momo, was her name. Mina quickly put down Chaeyoung’s phone, meeting her best friend’s gaze only to find her looking at her weirdly. Her head was tilted to the side, curiosity etched on her face as she scanned Mina’s fiddling hands.

“You’re acting weird.”

“You’re weird.”

“I know that but,” Chaeyoung edged closer to her, leaning her elbows on Mina’s table to level her gaze with the brunette. “You, Mina, are not. You’re usually more composed.”

“Should I add you acting as my therapist to your salary then?” Mina bit back, holding Chaeyoung’s gaze to prove a point.

Chaeyoung didn’t say anything to that, only searching her face for any change in demeanor. She finally leaned back, crossing her arms across her chest with a toothy grin, as if satisfied with herself. There’s a hint of teasing in her tone when she finally said, “Won’t say no to that. You’re not exactly fooling me, really. I make a good therapist.”

“Keep convincing yourself that.”

“You see, you won’t hold my gaze like that unless you have something to prove. You’ll tell me eventually,” the blonde said, ruffling Mina’s hair before getting up from her seat. She chuckled when she saw Mina frowned, quickly fixing her hair as she muttered something under her breath. Chaeyoung took her phone then, turning back to leave the room. She didn’t say anything until she reached the door, looking back at her best friend one more time only to find Mina sticking her tongue out at her, making the younger laughed in amusement at that. “You’re welcome for the breakfast, though.”

When she left, her laugh was echoing down the hall.

* * *

“So, overall, the general public took your press conference well and the article you mentioned only solidify that. We can definitely expect people to come to the anniversary party, this could attract more investors.”

Mina was leaning back on her chair, one hand mindlessly clicking on a pen as she blankly stared at the screen of her computer. Her eyes were set on the picture of her, smiling to the camera with something she hadn’t seen in her own eyes on other press photos. She had been drifting in and out of the conversation, only partly listening to Nayeon as she explained how the press conference was able to garner the general public’s attention. Most of her thought process was preoccupied with a certain girl with dark tresses and round glasses, and how she was able to capture everything she stood for in less than 1000 words.

“You know, this is the first time I see you actually pose for the camera,” Nayeon said, voice uncharastically gentle. Mina shifted her gaze at the older girl at that, finding her looking at the screen of her computer with a fond look on her face.

“But I  _ do _ pose for the cameras.”

Sensing Mina’s confusion, Nayeon met Mina’s gaze. She had a playful smile on her lips when she said, “You do pose for the  _ cameras  _ but never purposely looking at  _ one  _ in particular. Never with a genuine smile, too.”

Mina could only stare back at her, mouth hanging as if she wanted to say something but words were failing her. Nayeon started cackling, clearly amused to see  _ the  _ Myoui Mina caught red-handed giving someone from the press a special treatment. The younger of the two felt heat rising up from her neck, surely turning her cheeks into crimson as she looked away, anywhere but at Nayeon.

When her laughter finally died down, Nayeon got up from her seat, taking the iPad she had been holding with her. Sensing that Nayeon was about to excuse herself out, Mina acted on impulse, “Nayeon, wait!”

Nayeon stopped on her track, raising an eyebrow at the use of her first name in a professional setting.

“Miss Im,” Mina quickly corrected herself, trying to compose herself by smoothing down her blazer. “Is it possible for me to thank the author?”

Mina never felt the urge to run and hide when she could physically see realization dawning on Nayeon’s face. Her smile couldn’t be more wider and the cheeky tone of her voice only made her more embarrassed as she said, “In person?”

“Preferably, yes.” Mina said, trying to maintain a steady voice even as she felt a lump forming in her throat.

Nayeon looked up, tapping her finger on her chin. Mina knew it was only an act, she knew that Nayeon was only teasing her by faking a thoughtful act on this. But she stayed silent because she knew showing her annoyance would only get Nayeon to pester her more. She didn’t even know she was holding her breath until Nayeon finally said, “Sure! I’ll set up a meeting for you.”

“Okay,” Mina said, nodding curtly, feeling a familiar sting on the insides of her cheek as she started biting on it to keep herself from bursting into a smile. “You can go now.”

The playful smile on Nayeon’s lips didn’t waver even after she closed the door behind her.

* * *

“Okay don’t freak out but Jihyo wants to see you.”

The words were whispered into her ears calmly, though the sentence itself caused dread to wash over her. A firm grip on her shoulder was keeping her from not reacting to the warning, though. So instead, her hand just froze midway, a scowl making its way onto her face as she set her sandwich back down. It’s not everyday that your editor in chief wants to see you,  _ alone _ . The blonde whispering the words into her ears quickly sat down next to her. She had a serious expression on her face as she set their smoothie cups down.

“You know it doesn’t help me at all when you say ‘don’t freak out’ right?” Momo said, her frown getting deeper as she noted Sana’s troubled expression.

“Well I don’t know what else to say! I ran into her while buying our smoothie. It was a casual conversation--”

“You mean the usual flirting?”

Sana sent her a glare but otherwise ignored the comment, “and she asked if I’m having lunch with you. And I said well of course I do, you don’t really have anyone else to eat lunch with--”

“Will you  _ just  _ get to the point?”

“It was important for you to know I said that!”

“You just want to pick on me!”

“Well do you want the information or not?!”

Momo huffed at Sana’s challenge, making a face as she started to arch her eyebrow awaiting her answer. “Fine!”

“Anyway, so she laughed and then said that it’s cute that I’m always spending time with my  _ girlfriend _ .” Sana especially emphasized the last word, sighing after.

“Oh.”

“Right! Oh!” she sulked, sinking deeper into her seat. It dawned on her that her troubled expression might have been because of this piece of information and had nothing to do with her at all. So Momo offered her the smoothie, watching as the blonde slurped it with such intensity that a knot formed between her eyebrows. She let her drink her sorrow away, knowing that it couldn’t have been easy to know that her crush had thought that she was dating Momo, her best friend of 5 years.

Sana set her now empty cup down, rather harshly. She continued then, “So because I was shocked I kinda squeaked out that we weren’t dating but I guess she was too distracting with paying-- she paid for these smoothies by the way-- and told me to relay the message that she wanted to see you in her office after lunch.”

“So this whole story leads to her telling you that?  _ Only  _ that? Didn’t give you any reason why she wanted to see me at all?!”

“Yes! But she might still think we’re dating, Momo! This is a disaster!” she whined, dramatically putting her head down on the table.

“Sana! What if she called me into her office because I used the company’s printer?!”

Sana looked up at that, still tucking her chin on her folded arms, with an annoyed look on her face. “So what if you’re using the company’s printer?”

“It was to print photos of  _ us,  _ remember? You asked me to just print it here after our vacation? With glossy papers and all?”

“And?”

“What if we’re not supposed to use it?!”

“I doubt it’s about that.”

“Then how else would she think that we’re dating?! Maybe I left a photo behind or something.” Momo’s mind was racing with every bad scenario possible, by now her voice had reached a very high octave, attracting attention from the group sitting not too far from them.

Sana sat up then, pushing the smoothie her way, silently telling her to drink and breathe. So she did, closing her eyes as she did so to try to settle her beating heart. Right after she opened her eyes, Sana punched her shoulder, making her yelp in surprise more than in pain. The blonde looked like she was trying hard not to burst out laughing, shaking her head when she said, “you’re such a dumbass.”

“I’m being very serious.”

“I know, which makes it funnier,” Sana said, a smile playing on her lips. She glanced at the watch circling her wrist. “Let’s go, lunch time is almost over.”

“Sana,” the older of the two whined, refusing to sit up as the blonde tugged on her hand. “You’re not really helping.”

“If it makes you feel better, seeing you panicking makes me feel better about her thinking that we’re dating.” she said, patting Momo’s puffed up cheek as the girl continued to sulk.

Momo could only glare, adding “Not everything is about you.”

Sana hummed, flashing her a toothy grin. “But it should be.”

The dark-haired girl rolled her eyes at that, finally deciding that there was no use in sulking and got up to go back to the office. Sana linked their arms together as they walked, jabbing her finger at her side to try to loosen her up, assuring her that she was only teasing. And though her best friend  _ did  _ help calm her nerves, she couldn’t help the loud pounding of her heart.

* * *

Jihyo was seated in her chair when Momo peeked her head into her office, head buried in files. Truth be told, Momo had always admired Jihyo. Despite her being younger, she seemed to carry a certain maturity within herself. She knew that her own resilience and her leadership skills got her where she is, just as she deserved. That is exactly why Momo found herself being nervous, knowing that she values the younger girl’s thought of her so much that she holds every advice and criticism near to her heart.

She stopped brushing her clammy palms against her skirt when Jihyo finally looked up, a smile immediately grazing her lips when her eyes settled on her, “Momo! I see Sana told you that I wanted to see you, please sit.”

Momo simply nodded at that, forcing a smile as she took a seat across from her.

“How was your lunch?”

“Ah, good,” Momo said, a bit surprised that Jihyo didn’t cut to the chase -- not that she ever does, she likes to create a connection with her co-workers -- and decided that this might’ve been a good time to bring Sana up. “Sana is a huge pain, though. Leave it to your best friend to tease you about the boss wanting to see you.”

Jihyo’s eyebrow arched up at that, subtly, but enough for Momo to know that she found it amusing. “The boss?”

_ Okay, not what I want her to find amusing,  _ Momo groaned internally but kept a tight-lipped smile, trying to appear nonchalant as she shrugged. “You are, though, right? You keep everything running.”

“You flatter me too much,” Jihyo waved her hand in a dismissive manner, but the blush creeping on her cheeks is still apparent to Momo’s perceptive nature. “It was also thanks to the hard work of reporters like you and Sana too.”

“Ah well--”

“In fact!” Jihyo started, flashing a wide grin as she leaned back in her chair. “That is exactly why I wanted to see you!”

Jihyo must’ve noted the confusion evident on Momo’s face because she continued, “The article you wrote about Myoui Mina, it went viral. Did you know that?”

Momo swallowed a bitter taste in her mouth, recalling when Sana told her the news just this morning. “Yes, I do.”

“Well the article  _ does  _ leave a good impression on Myoui Studio, so much so that Myoui Mina herself asked to see you!” Jihyo clapped her hands together, and for once, Momo could see that younger spirit in her from the way she was bouncing from excitement in her seat. 

“She does?”

“She does, yes! Are you free tonight? Her PR Team wants to know if you are so they can set up a dinner reservation.”

Momo tried her best to remain a neutral face when she nodded, ignoring the growing sinking feeling within her stomach.

“Okay, I’m going to let them know and get back to you on the time and location.”

Another nod from Momo.

“Momo, this is a great opportunity! Maybe you can propose a feature for the print during the dinner?”

“Feature?” Momo fought to speak through the lump in her throat. “I never write for the print, Jihyo, I always write for the website.”

“The article did so well, though, I believe it’s better to ride that wave and do a follow-up on that. Who better to do it than you? All we’re asking from Miss Myoui is a month tops.”

“A  _ month _ ?”

“Of you following her, yes. Study how she works, how she engages with her staff, her lifestyle, everything that makes Miss Myoui interesting. The public seems to be really intrigued by one of the youngest CEO of one of the leading firms in South Korea. It’s wise to do that just when the hype is at its peak.” Jihyo explained, averting her attention to her computer now, presumably to contact Mina’s team.

“Can’t anyone else do it?”

Jihyo glanced back at her at that, a frown etching on her face. “Why?”

“I just--” Momo started, but ended up huffing in frustration. “I don’t know, Jihyo, this seems like a huge deal.”

Jihyo’s expression shifted again, taking a more fond look. Her hand reached out to Momo, giving it a gentle squeeze to try to get the other girl into looking at her. Momo did so, meeting her gaze reluctantly. She was surprised to find Jihyo’s soft expression, eyes warm as she said, “Listen, I see potential in your article, Momo. I know you have only been writing for the website for, what, almost 2 years now? But the pitch you’ve been giving me the past few months, there’s depth to them. I can see you crave for more, but maybe you’re just scared to step out of your comfort zone.”

Momo looked down.

“Your question for Miss Myoui, that only solidifies that. You seek to probe, analyze, and that’s exactly why I think you’d do a great job for the feature.”

She felt shame weighing on her shoulders. She  _ did  _ seek to probe, but for all the wrong reasons. She was brought back by another squeeze on her hand, witness how Jihyo smiled the softest smile when she said. “Give yourself a chance, allow room for growth. I believe in you.”

And with that, Momo nodded. A resolute decision despite a conflicting personal opinion raging inside of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i'm ending it on yet another cliffhanger... and you still don't know what momo has against mina hehe. n e way i probably won't update often bc i have work and school is starting soon but pls do let me know what you think!
> 
> twitter: jindorisblue  
> cc: bossbabhye


	3. ii. out of spite

“So, should I say goodbye to you now that Jihyo found out that you used the printer?”

Momo only glared at Sana, who was currently sitting at the edge of her desk with an obnoxiously smug grin on her face. The older of the two continued sorting through her belongings in silence, with Sana watching her every move.

“Did she fire you because of that?”

“You’re insufferable.”

“What did she think of our pictures, though? Did she really see it?’

“ _Sana_.”

“You know, at least we got those pictures printed. We _did_ look great in them, absolutely–”

“She wants me to work on a feature, okay!”

Sana stopped at that, her eyes growing wide with her mouth hanging open. When Momo didn’t proceed to elaborate and instead sorting to just staring back at her surprised best friend, the blonde finally leaped off the desk to hug her. A surprised shriek came from Momo, catching Sana just in time before the both of them tumble over. 

The blonde pulled back just as quickly, immediately started talking animatedly, “This is _amazing,_ Momoring! A feature is certainly a huge deal, oh my God, let me treat you to–” feeling a squeeze on her hand, she stopped. That was when she first noticed the unreadable expression on Momo’s face, lips stretching into a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m going to meet the subject of the feature later, for dinner.”

Sana waited, eyes set on Momo even when the girl shifted her gaze down.

A breathless chuckle, though it sounded bitter, before she finally said. “It’s of Myoui Mina.”

“Oh.”

And this time, she let it linger there. Immediately going to gather her stuff before leaving a stunned Sana by her desk.

* * *

_When the words of a Myoui Studio press conference first spread, Momo was prepared with other pitches. When the press conference was finally confirmed, Momo delivered her pitches. And she got it, an article she could deliver. But then Jae, always Jae, mentioned the press conference, saying how Momo would be the perfect person to write it since ‘empowerment is her brand’. She noticed Sana glaring at Jae on the corner of her eyes, one that the guy didn’t even notice. After that, Jihyo just looked at her. She remembered that it was silent for a while, the editor in chief looking as if she was sizing her up. When she spoke up she simply said that she found it surprising that Momo hadn’t heard about the press conference, and ultimately gave her the story to pursue. Jae ended up doing her pitch, one she thought was a better one than this Myoui Studio bullshit. Finding it ironic that Jae had mentioned that empowerment was her brand when she believed that Myoui Studio was the very opposite of that._

_“I think we can convince Jihyo to give this article to me instead,” Sana had whispered to her when they were walking back to their desks. “Empowerment is also my brand, even though… Myoui Studio is anything but empowering.”_

_Momo snickered at that, “Right.”_

_“Listen,” Sana said, reaching for her wrist and rooting them in place. “I will go back to ask Jihyo, you know.”_

_“I know,” Momo said, softening her gaze at the sincerity behind her best friend’s words. “You don’t have to. Fucking Jae just wanted to do my pitch, that’s why he came after me.”_

_“One day Jihyo will see through his innocent act.” Sana said, her eyes squinting at the guy as he walked back to his desk._

_“Oh, you definitely want Jihyo to see more of you, though.” Momo said, smirking._

_“And to think I was about to give everything up for you,” Sana gasped, a hand on her chest for dramatic flare._

_Momo simply jabbed her stomach at her antics, the younger shrieking as she retaliated. The two of them continued walking, then, letting the silence hung between them._

_That is, until Momo said, “I think I can find dirt on her.”_

_“Hm?”_

_“Myoui,” Momo elaborated, “You don’t have to go back to Jihyo, I’m doing the article.”_

_Sana stopped again, which made Momo stop too. The girl looked back at Sana, who had a concerned look on her face, “Despite everything?”_

_Momo thought back to the day her sister ignored her for the first time in years, walking past her as she offered some snacks. She thought back to the sniffles she heard as soon as she shut the door to her room. She thought back to how she had dark circles under her eyes the next day, how her smile was nothing but stretched line of her lips for days, weeks, and months after. She thought back to how Hana remained unemployed, despite her excellent record in her field. She thought back to the first time she saw Myoui Mina on TV, how her sister immediately turned it off and got up to leave the room. She thought back to how she sprung up to stop her sister from leaving, to ask what’s wrong, to finally understand why her laughter never sounded the same, her smile never that bright, genuine smile. And she broke down crying, bits and pieces of how Myoui Mina stole her work was what she got as she turned into an incomprehensible, jumbled mess. Momo hugged her closer, feeling her pain as if it was hers as she recounts the time when she came back to her desk as they packed her stuff, no explanation aside from the fact that she was fired due to plagiarism. A guy was holding the blueprint, she said, saying that it was an exact copy of what Myoui Mina herself did just 2 weeks prior. They had evidence, it was indeed copyrighted under her name. It didn’t make sense to her, will never make sense to her, because she worked on the project with Myoui Mina herself. Next thing she knew was being tugged up and dragged out of the building, her body too weak out of shock to even fight back. She said that remembered the boxes being shoved her way once they were out of the building along with a promise of not ever landing another designing job. She foolishly thought that it was an empty promise, that there was no way Myoui Mina was that cruel. She foolishly thought so as she stared emptily on the building she once called home, silent tears still streaming down her face._

_Momo finally put all the pieces together, then, that the reason why her sister’s career was in jeopardy was due to Myoui Mina._

_That the reason Hana wasn’t able to continue doing what she loves was because of Myoui Mina._

_And so she watched Sana’s concerned gaze turned into something resembling pride when she said, “Oh honey, I’m doing this_ out _of spite.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the slow update! this one's a short one but next time chapter will be longer. please be patient with me and let me know what you think of this update!
> 
> twitter: jindorisblue  
> cc: bossbabhye


	4. iii. dinner with the devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Momo decided that she would go through heaven and hell to prove her sister right. Even if that meant spending a month in the company of the devil herself.

Nayeon practically bounced into her office, ignoring how Mina’s nose was practically buried in paperwork. Mina saw her out of the corner of her eyes, expecting her to speak up but instead was surprised when the head of the PR team plucked the paper off Mina’s hand instead. Im Nayeon had always been bold, that was sorta why Mina decided to hire her. 

A protest was sitting on the tip of her tongue, but as soon as Nayeon said that she had confirmed a dinner reservation for her and Hirai Momo, her mind just shut down.

“It will be at 7, After Moon. I know you like that place.” Nayeon said, a grin on her face as she patted Mina’s cheek at her shocked expression.

“I didn’t think she’d agree to it,” the sentence came more as a squeak, which made Nayeon double over laughing. Mina frowned at that, pushing Nayeon’s shoulder as she tried her best to shift onto a more serious tone. “Miss Im!”

“Okay! Sorry! Sorry!” she said, still clutching her stomach and wiping her eye with the back of her hand. “You’re  _ so  _ cute, Mina.”

“That’s inappropriate, Miss Im.”

“I know about your crush, aren’t we practically friends now?” Nayeon said, a smirk playing on her lips.

“It’s  _ not  _ a crush.” it didn’t even sound convincing to Mina’s ears, and she was sure that the burning on her cheeks indicated that she had started blushing. Nayeon seemed satisfied with herself, poking Mina’s cheek before standing up to leave. “You only came here to tell me that?”

Nayeon didn’t even look back as she kept walking, but she heard her say. “Have fun on your date!”

Mina didn’t think she could be even  _ more  _ red in the face.

* * *

Momo had thought that her day couldn’t get any worse, but the moment she stepped into her apartment, she was greeted with the sight of her sister sitting on a stool in the kitchen. Her head was bowed, playing with her food with an unreadable expression. She was still wearing her track pants and shirt, letting her know that she had only gotten back from giving out dance lessons without showering. The younger of the two knew well of her sister’s habit, something that rarely happens. But when the elder waited out on showering, that means she was waiting for Momo. She got something to say as soon as she saw the younger girl.

And with her article about Myoui Mina going viral, she knew she had  _ a lot  _ to say.

“Say what you have to say, I’ve had a long day.” Momo sighed, rubbing at her temple.

“ _ You’ve  _ had a long day? Bet it’s full of congratulatory messages since your article went viral.” Hana said, letting out a rather loud bitter laugh.

“I’m trying to help you, Hana.”

“By making her look like the good guy? How is that helping  _ me,  _ Momo?!”

“I couldn’t find dirt on her.”

“Just go with what I’ve told you, Jesus Christ!”

“I have to find  _ proof  _ before anything else, Hana. You’re an unreliable source in the eyes of others.”

“Is this your way of saying that you don’t believe your own sister?! Whose side are you on?!” Hana’s voice took a higher pitch, Momo’s patience was running thin.

“Of course I believe you, God, you know I’m always gonna be on  _ your  _ side.”

“Then act like it! This is  _ my  _ career, Momo. She’s ruining  _ my  _ career and who knows how many others she’s been screwing over!”

“Fuck, of course I know that, Hana!” she finally yelled through the lump in her throat, noticing how the older visibly flinched at her words. She furiously wiped at a stray tear running down her cheek with the back of her hand, trying hard to appear strong as she spat out, “But that doesn’t mean I have to risk  _ my  _ career to save yours!” 

It was dead silent after that, with Momo only realizing that she had snapped after she noticed Hana’s shell shocked expression. She was about to say something when she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. Cursing internally, she fished it out to see messages from Jihyo:

**[boss bitch]** **  
** **i’ve got updates on the time and place for your dinner**

**7pm, at this place called After Moon. ask to see Miss Myoui**

**it’s pretty high-end, chance to dress up ;)**

**bring up the feature proposal and report back to me tonight**

**have fun, hirai :D**

Momo sighed, typing out her answer.

**[Hirai Momo]**

**Noted**

**Will call u tonight, boss**

She looked back at her sister, then, who was staring at her own fiddling hands with a dejected look on her face.

“Hey, Hana?”

She looked up.

“I’m sorry,” the younger said, chewing at her bottom lip. “Can we talk more later tonight? I have… this meeting I have to go to, for now.”

Hana sighed, appearing far more tired now. She got up from the stool then, walking towards her sister before holding her hand. There was a glimmer of sadness in her eyes, but she was more visibly tired as Momo finally got a good look of the older girl, the bags under her eyes seemingly permanent now. “I’m sorry. I don’t wanna fight.”

“I know.”

“We’ll talk tonight,” Hana assured. She smiled after that, one that still didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Good luck at the meeting.”

“Thanks, I’ll need that.” Momo said, squeezing her hand. “We’ll get there, though. I promise.”

She smiled wider at that, this time Momo swore she could see the glimmer of hope in her eyes.

“I trust you.” the elder said, “We’ll get there.”

Momo decided that she would go through heaven and hell to prove her sister right. Even if that meant spending a month in the company of the devil herself.

* * *

Mina sighed for the umpteenth time, noticing the way her driver glanced at her through the rear view mirror. He arched an eyebrow, questioning if she was okay, to which she brushed off with a tight-lipped smile. She shifted her gaze quickly, deciding to just watch the passing skyscrapers towering over them to settle her nerves.

“Long day. Ma’am?” she heard him say, must’ve remained unconvinced.

“Always a long day,” Mina said, gaze still fixed to the passing scenery. Her mind started wandering to the possibilities of how the meeting would play out. “Thank you for always making sure I’m okay, though.”

“A pleasure, Ma’am.” he said, “Your brother is always concerned of your well-being.”

Mina felt the familiar pang in her chest at the mention of her brother. Her relationship with him was… complicated to say the least. Growing up, she was always the second best in her parents eyes, her accomplishments always compared to Kai’s in every aspect. Kai was always supportive, in the sense that he did that out of pity. He was always trying his best to help, so Mina naturally felt bad when she started to realize that she resented him. Knowing that it was due to all the pent up frustration from the pressure her parents put on her, though, Mina never once took it out on him. So instead, she always kept her distance from him.

Ever since they were young, Kai has always been set up as the one who will inherit the company their father own. Even when they both had visited their father at work, he would ignore her completely, instead urging Kai to sit on the chair he would later sit on in life. She remembered how Kai had scooted over in the chair, extending an arm towards Mina, as he urged her to sit beside him. Little Mina had looked away, couldn’t quite make sense why she had felt hurt as she started walking to the huge glass window at the other side of the office, one facing the entirety of Seoul. Since then, whenever the two had to visit their father at the office, Mina would sit there, face pressed against the cold glass as she stared down at the protruding buildings around her. She would pay attention to the details on the tall buildings, slightly shorter buildings, and every other buildings her eyes set on. One day, Kai had joined her, snacks in his hands. Mina didn’t say anything, simply let him gaze at her curiously.

“What are you looking at?” he had asked, as he started to follow her line of sight.

“Buildings,” Mina had simply said.

“Do you like them?”

She had nodded.

“Maybe someday you’ll design a building of your own,” he had said, catching Mina’s attention. For once. Upon noticing that Mina had turned to look at him, Kai smiled, a gummy smile she rarely saw. “I know you’ll do great at it.”

So, yes, it was always gonna be complicated. Mina felt bad that she still resented the very first person who had faith in her. The person who stayed true to his words as he stood up for Mina, convincing their parents to let her pursue architecture, despite failing. Mina had to pay for it on her own, juggling two jobs and spending her savings throughout the first year of college. She could breathe a little easier after she got offered a scholarship for the rest of her college years, but still juggling two jobs just in case. She met a lifelong friend in college, Chaeyoung, who became her loyal support system throughout hardships. Kai had offered to help, but a petty voice in her head convinced her not to take any help from him, just to prove that she could do better than him, that she could stand without him, that she could prove her parents wrong. And it paid off, because her parents finally acknowledged that she had a potential, agreeing to help her make a company of her own, to finally fulfill her dream. The catch was, it had to be under Myoui Co, one led by Kai, because they still thought that it would be easier for Kai to clean up her mess in case she messed up. Mina had to clench her jaw back then, because she wanted to scream, because she felt angry of not ever being able to satisfy her parents. But Kai put a hand on her shoulder, squeezed gently, while saying that he trusted that Mina would never mess it up. Mina swallowed her pride, then, finally learning to accept the help she had been offered with and started as a company under Myoui Co, ignoring her resentment for once to achieve her dream.

It was there, sitting deep within her chest, but she was learning to let it go because she got this far without his help. And it was a matter of proving it to herself more than proving it to her parents, now.

(She still couldn't shake the feeling that she wouldn't be here if she wasn't under Myoui Co.)

“–Ma’am?” was what shook her out of her reverie. Mina realized then that they had stopped, the door to her side was already opened by a host.

“Right. Sorry,” Mina had simply said, sparing one last glance at the driver, who was turning in his seat to see if the girl was okay. “Don’t pick me up later, but keep it between us.”

“But Mr. Myoui strictly–”

“That’s final,” she said, noticing how he visibly cowered at the hard tone of her voice. “Have a good night.”

With that, she took the host’s outstretched hand and stepped out into the cold night, letting the door slam shut behind her.

* * *

The moment Momo stepped into the restaurant, she never felt so out of place.

She was wearing a black strapless dress, Hana’s because the only expensive dress she had still needed to be dry cleaned, with a pair of gold earrings she got herself for her birthday. Her hair was swept to the side, an attempt to appear more elegant. The reporter felt grateful for Jihyo’s heads up, the place was indeed  _ very  _ high-end. It would’ve been unacceptable if she had showed up with her usual sweatpants paired with a crop top.

“Excuse me, Ma’am, do you have any reservations?” she heard a hostess say.

“Ah,” her eyes were still scanning her surroundings, trying to see if she Myoui Mina herself was already there. “Yes, I’m here to see Miss Myoui.”

“Oh, Miss Myoui has been waiting for you.” the hostess said, “Please, follow me.”

And so Momo did. She noticed how everyone in the restaurant wore suits and dresses, talking lowly amongst themselves. When a waiter went past her, she could see a glimpse of the wine brand he’s holding, definitely not something she’s familiar with. She made a mental note to treat herself to a cheap wine once the dinner is over, she thought she was deserving of it after plotting a revenge. Soon enough they were at the very back of the restaurant, more vacant than the front of the restaurant. She could see Myoui Mina in her seat, head down as she read the menu.

Momo wanted to hate the woman, but right now all she could think about was how beautiful the CEO looked. She was wearing a plaid blazer with a short black turtleneck dress underneath it. Her hair was swept to the side as well, from this angle Momo noticed a mole on her nose. The girl looked so invested on the menu that she didn’t even look up when she said.

“Is there any recommended dish you can give me?”

“Oh I can, Ma’am, but your guest is here.” the hostess said, and at that, she looked up.

Her eyes were wide, a blush creeped on her cheeks. Momo was about to greet her when she noticed that the girl was closing her eyes, visibly cringing as if she was embarrassed with herself.

“Should I… sit?” Momo started.

“Yes! Please!” the girl rushed out, eyes shooting open.

Momo did so silently.

“I’ll get the waiter to take your order now, Ma’am.” the hostess said, an amused smile playing on her lips.

She heard Myoui Mina mumble a thank you, her head now bowed down. It was clear to Momo that she was avoiding her gaze, her eyes were skimming through the menu without really reading anything.

“Are you… okay?”

“Yeah I just need a moment to collect myself, that was embarrassing.”

“It wasn’t bad, really.”

“It was, Miss Hirai.”

“Okay at  _ first  _ it wasn’t bad. But then you got flustered.”

“Precisely.” Myoui Mina took in a deep breath before closing the menu, as if to prepare herself for something. She held out her hand, then, a smile etched on her face. It only made sense to Momo when she said, “I’m not flustered now, though, can we start over?”

“You… want to redo our first interaction?”

“...Yes?” she sounded unsure, but her expression indicated that she didn’t understand why Momo thought this request was weird… or amusing.

A fleeting thought of how the girl seemed harmless crossed Momo’s mind, a small smile already playing on her lips. But then she remembered that she had to keep her guard up, so she pressed her lips together to hide the smile. She briefly noticed how the girl’s smile faltered as Momo took a more neutral stance before taking Myoui Mina’s hand in hers, giving it a firm shake before saying. “Hirai Momo, a reporter working at Next Page. Nice to finally meet you.”

She squeezed her hand, “Myoui Mina. Thank you for writing so beautifully, you really capture everything I stand for in a rather short article.”

Momo could only give her a tight-lipped smile at that. Their conversation came to a halt when the waiter arrived, her hand naturally pulling away at the presence of another person. Momo watched as Myoui Mina gave her,  _ their,  _ order. She wasn’t about to object with her choices, firstly because she couldn’t even pronounce half the things she saw on the menu, but secondly because the CEO explained what they were before actually ordering them. She stopped after every explanation she gave, waiting for the reporter’s approval before actually confirming it to their waiter. She offered Momo a wine after their waiter reviewed their order and what the  _ hell _ Momo would take this over the cheap wine she was planning to have any day.

“So,” Momo started as she watched Myoui Mina pour the wine into her glass. “Do you always invite reporters out for dinner, Miss Myoui?”

Though despising the thought of actually meeting Myoui Mina at first, Momo was here to get to know her enemy. She had to strike up a conversation.

“Not always, no.” she said, setting the wine down on the table. Momo noticed how she didn’t pour a glass for herself. “The way you write it, I think I just know that our values are similar.”

“How so?” Momo urged.

Myoui Mina giggled at that, “You sure are a reporter, still asking so many questions even on a dinner table.”

“It’s hard to turn off that switch even in daily life,” Momo shrugged, “besides, you’re inviting me for a dinner. Isn’t that a way of telling me that you want to get to know me more?”

The other woman smiled, not at her though, more in the way that she found the situation amusing.

“Or do you want to keep it strictly business? I can shut up the whole night, too. I’m already thankful for the free food.”

Myoui Mina shook her head, an amused chuckle escaped her lips. Her lips slowly stretched into a grin soon after, grinning  _ at  _ her this time. And it felt different. So, Momo averted her gaze.

“You can do anything you want, Miss Hirai. This dinner is to thank  _ you  _ after all.”

“Just Momo is fine,” she said, keeping her eyes set on the glass of wine in her hands. She watched intently as it swirled around in the transparent glass, as if by doing that she would appear calm enough when bringing up the next subject in her agenda. “Say, Miss Myoui, if I were to make a proposal, will you hear me out?”

She noticed the way the CEO shifted to the edge of her seat from her peripheral view. Momo looked up, a sense of pride swelling inside her chest upon noticing that she even had her elbows resting on the edge of the table. Her gaze lazily went upwards, finally settling on her eyes. The brown orbs were full of curiosity, she found out. It was almost cute.

_ Almost _ .

Her eyebrow raised when Momo simply stared at her, clearly expecting her to elaborate. “Well? I’m listening.”

That made Momo chuckle, “As you said, Miss Myoui–”

“Mina. It’s only fair since I’m gonna call you Momo.”

“Mina,” she tried the name on her tongue, finding it odd that she didn’t despise it even though it felt too… casual, intimate. She was  _ still  _ supposed to hate her, after all. It was easier when you don’t build any familiarity. It seemed dumb, since she could potentially spend an entire month with the girl in the end. “Mina, as you said, we both share similar values and it goes with everything I, as a person, and Next Page, as  a magazine, stands for.”

Mina… Mina, Momo could never get used to this. Mina still held her gaze, subtly nodding to urge her to continue.

“And so we’re offering to do a feature of you, for the magazine. Just to see how you work, but ultimately to see who you are as a person, because we think that your story can really inspire every woman out there. Especially ones aiming for a career in a male-dominated field.” Momo was only spitting words at this point, hoping it would rub Mina's ego enough to get her into agreeing with her proposal.

But Momo was rather surprised when she noticed Mina's jaw clenching, her eyes darting down as if to avoid her gaze. The CEO leaned back in her chair, then, crossing her arms across her chest. Momo had been a reporter long enough to notice the sudden defensive stance, but chose not to point it out.

"Why me?"

Momo was rendered speechless at that one.

Mina looked up, arms still crossed, but her gaze held a determination that Momo couldn't really make sense of. "I can name a few other names worth doing a feature of. Are you doing this because you do believe that I can help people or are you just trying to build a momentum off your viral article?"

The reporter felt weirdly impressed, Myoui Mina didn't have a big ego after all. So that wouldn't be the reason why she had thrown her sister under the bus. She started this for her sister but it felt an awful lot like uncovering a mystery now, and Momo was addicted.

"So? I can see the gears turning inside your head, Mo–"

"We  _ are _ looking for a momentum, yes." Momo said, "but that doesn't make you any less inspiring. People are already interested in you, they want to know more, and you already have the platform for you to actually voice out  _ your _ story. It's entirely your choice, really, whether you want to use it or not."

Mina sighed, looking up to the ceiling. The both of them stayed silent, even when the waiter came with their food. Momo only gave the waiter a small thank you before he left, while the other girl was still deep in thought.

Momo was about to take another sip of her wine when the girl spoke up, and it was nothing Momo had expected yet again, "What if my story isn't as inspiring as people thought it would be?"

"Why would you say that?"

Mina chuckled dryly, rubbing her temple. "I'm deeply flawed is all. I'm just good at hiding it."

The way she said it, got Momo questioning her sister's words for once. She didn't say anything when Mina stated that she could start eating, only watched as the girl started cutting through her steak. She sounded like she said it as a joke, but with some truth to it.

"Don't we all, though?" so Momo said instead, looking down at her food.

"Pardon?"

"Flawed." Momo looked up, locking her gaze with Mina's.

Mina shifted her gaze quickly, back down to her food. "I guess so."

"Then that shouldn't matter, don't you think?" The reporter pressed, "We are all human after all."

Her statement was met with silence once again, the only sound between them was the clink of the utensils against the plate. They finished their meal like that, with Momo starting to dread that she might've failed to convince Mina to agree to the feature. A part of her was relieved at that possibility, but another was deeply troubled, she was starting to get a grasp of how she is as a human. She wanted to dig deep and solve the puzzle, find that dirt once and for all. 

(For her or her sister, Momo wasn't sure anymore.)

"I'm in." she heard Mina say, snapping her out of her thoughts. Momo's head snapped up, Mina appeared to be calm as she set her utensils down.

"Are you sure?"

Mina hummed.

"I– how long do you think you can do it for? We think it's best if we do it for a month–"

"Okay," Mina simply said. "Take however long you think is right."

They exchanged contacts after that, a necessity to send the details of the arrangement. Mina asked if she wanted some dessert, one Momo wouldn't normally refuse but had to. Her blood was rushing with adrenaline, a sugar high wouldn't be a nice combo to add.

Now that she found an interest of her own in Mina, the reporter briefly wondered if it was weird to get this excited over plotting a revenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> would appreciate to know what you're all thinking so far!!
> 
> twitter: jindorisblue  
> cc: bossbabhye


End file.
